Cooling means for soot blower



De 12, 1933. T, G. coGHLAN COOLING MEANS FOR SOOT BLOWER APPARATUS Filed May l, 1931 J HMH@ P COCHC Us. @C @IC W CUSS CS O @w33 n @CCC Cw@ Z Wi INVENTOR THU/w15 6. bnf/AN ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1933 PATENT OFFICE COOLING MEANS FOR SOOT BLOWER APPARATUS Thomas G. Coghlan, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application May 1, 1931. Serial No. 534,166

1 Claim. (Cl. 122-392) `The invention relates to soot blower apparatus such asis utilized in connection with the opere.-

` tion of steam boiler plants and whereby steam is periodically projected in a plurality of jets among the boiler tubes to dislodge accumulated soot and slag.

Due to the extremely high temperatures to which the soot blower elements are exposed, especially in the rst pass of a boiler, destruction of the soot blower elements in these abnormally hot positions is very rapid because of the intense heat to which they are subjected', and various eXpedients have been proposed to overcome this rapid deterioration of the elements, for example, in the utilization of high temperature resistantA alloys.

So long as steam is flowing through an element for delivering the jets therefrom, sufficient cooling is effected to protect such element, but it is in the oil periods that the serious destructive action prevails. As it is neither feasible nor desirable to continuously blow steam through these elements, other means must be provided to insure long life of the same.

It is an object of the invention to provide means for maintaining the soot blower elements suffciently cool at all times so that the life oi the same is appreciably prolonged. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of means for automatically introducing'air to the elements when the steam supply thereto is shut off.

In carrying out the invention, an air connection is made to the particular soot blowers it is desired to protect against the intense heat of a boiler; and provision is further made, as by the introduction of a suitable check valve, to prevent the introduction of air to a soot blower element until the steam pressure therein has been cut off. It has been found that the small volume of air necessary to hold the blower element at a sufficiently low temperature does not to any appreciable degree aifect the eiiiciency of the boiler.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a steam boiler with soot blower apparatus installed therein, the latter being equipped with the novel. cooling means.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates the side Wall of a water tube steam boiler and through which are introduced, in accordance with the general practice, at different positions and into the Y rduring such periods and preventing,

ments in the nature of tubes 11, 12, etc. These tubes are provided with openings directed in the usual manner toward the boiler tubes to discharge jets of steam for removing from said boiler tubes accumulated soot and slag. The steam may be 50 introduced to the blower elements through respective branch pipes 13, 14, etc. from a suitable source of steam supply (not shown), and in accordance with the usual practice.

However, as this supply of steam is not continuous to a blower element, provision is made for introducing to certain of these elements a cooling gaseous medium, as air, at periods when the supply of steam is shut off. This air may be obtained from the air duct 15 supplying the fur- .70 nace of the boiler and the pressure of which is maintained at a sulicient head, as by means of a blower 16 connected therewith.

In accordance with the invention, a pipe connection 17 is taken from the air duct 15 and the 75 air distributed therefrom through the branches 18 and 19 to the various blower elements it is desired to protect. Control valves such as the hand valves 20 and 21 are included in the respective branches; and there is further included in each of said branches a check valve as the valves 22 and 23.

The branches 18 and 19 are thus connected to the respective blower elements 11 and 12, but no air is supplied thereto during normal conditions of operation of said soot blowers by the steam introduced thereto, the check valves 22,

23 shutting oi automatically the supply of air also, steam from entering the duct 15. l Y

However, as soon as the steam is cut off from a blower element, reducing thereby the pressure therein and in the corresponding supply branch, the interposed check valve swings open to deliver air to said blower element, it being understood, of course, that the corresponding hand valve has been previously set to regulate the maximum supply of air for maintaining an Velement at the desired temperature.

The now of this air through the blower e1e100 ments serves to maintain them at a sufficiently low temperature to prevent their heretofore rapid deterioration during the period when the sameV were not in use.V Furthermore, only a. minimum volume of air is required, and this 1.05 amount does not affect the boiler efficiency to any appreciable degree.

I claim:

The combination with a water-tube steam boiler and soot blower apparatus therefor em-,l10

providing automatically for a flow of air to and through the said soot blower element upon cessation of the steam flow thereto and preventing automatically return ow of the steam to the duct when it is again admitted to thesoot blower element.

THOMAS G. COGHLAN. 

